2014/15 Absa PREMIERSHIP

AmaZulu v Kaizer Chiefs

Moses Mabhida Stadium

Wednesday 05 November 2014

19h30 kick-off

Kaizer Chiefs will be travelling to eThekwini to face AmaZulu in the Absa Premiership clash. The top-versus-bottom clash will be played at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Wednesday, 05 November 2014, kick-off is at 19h30.

The Kaizer Chiefs mentor Stuart Baxter expressed a cautiously optimistic view ahead of their 1 hour flight trip to Durban this afternoon. Baxter was speaking after he took his charges through a prematch training session on Tuesday morning.

“It is an interesting one, isn’t it? We are returning to playing after a week of a grief stricken situation. We did not play a game last weekend and we were also under shock after the late Meyiwa’s sudden death. It is not easy to assess the readiness of the team. It is a matter of getting back into the swing of things.”

The Durban side has claimed one point from a possible nine in home matches this season. Usuthu are placed 16th on the Absa Premiership log with four points from nine matches.

“They did well against Sundowns in the cup, taking Sundowns to the wire in a knockout match. Their tails will be up and they will be buoyed by that performance and hoping to get something out of us. We will be ready though, we will go into the game with the mentality of respect for the opponent,”

Chiefs’ winning run came to an end in their last league match as they were held 1-1 at home by Moroka Swallows. The Soweto giants still boast a 100 percent away record, with four wins from four matches on the road.

“The talk of a derailed train is media talk. We are continuing to work towards our planned goals. We take each game as it comes and this one won't be different.”

The Amakhosi are placed first on the Absa Premiership log with 25 points from nine matches. In head-to-head stats, AmaZulu and Chiefs have met in 50 league matches since 1985. The Amakhosi have 31 wins compared to seven for Usuthu, while 12 matches have been drawn. AmaZulu have won five of their 24 home matches against Chiefs down the years, suffering 12 defeats in the process.

The Amakhosi have won the last four successive league matches against Usuthu, racking up a combined score of 15-1.

Baxter confirmed that his side will be minus the recovered Maluleka, and recovering Mphela and Khune, while Dladla is nursing an Achilles tendon.